Pets I Have Known and Loved III

Dog: Niki
Breed: American Eskimo Dog
Length of time with Guglielminos: 16+ years

Perhaps my mother spoke too soon. A few weeks after Kippy's death, I again called my parents from the basement of Haverford's library. "Guess what?" Mom said. "What?" I asked, feigning interest in typical adolescent fashion. "We got a new dog," she said.

My mouth got dry. Kippy's body was probably still warm in his grave! How could my parents allow this interloper into our house? "I couldn't stand the silence when I walked in the door," Mom said. "I hated not hearing the sound of a dog greeting me."

No consolation to me. I believed my parents were traitors. They said they loved Kippy, but how could they if they could simply replace him with another dog? "I'll never like that dog," I spit into the phone. "I'll be polite, but I'll never love him like I love Kippy."

After meeting Nikki, however, my cold heart melted like an ice cube on a dog's tongue. He was the cutest dog EVER. He learned quickly how to sit, stay and "speak." When he got excited, he'd run in circles, flying past like a shooting star, until he got dizzy and stopped to rest. We'd wrestle with toys for hours, but he'd never bite. Our family has had the pleasure of watching him grow, and today he spends his hours sitting in his "bed" and eating his morning toast. (Yes, you read that right. He doesn't get bread in the morning; he gets toast. Sometimes before others get their breakfast, by the way.)

What lessons have I learned from these dogs? Know what you're getting. Know when to say enough is enough. Love completely. Learn when it's time to love again.